Browser platforms / Browserbase alternative

A Browserbase alternative for the persistent computer behind your browser agent

Browserbase combines managed Chromium, browser identity, observability, hosted Functions and agent APIs. Contexts preserve useful browser state across sessions. A durable Linux computer is a different execution requirement: installed tools, configuration and growing files must survive alongside the browsing workflow.

Start buildingCompare capabilities ↓

Reviewed 2026-10-18 · Published by the Sandbox0 team

When Browserbase fits

Choose Browserbase for managed browsers, browser-specific identity/proxy handling, session replay and the Stagehand ecosystem. Those services can remain useful alongside a persistent agent runtime; moving code execution does not automatically replace browser infrastructure.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 when the agent owns a returning Linux environment with system tools, complete writable-RootFS persistence, automatic online growth and supported paused file operations. Bring or retain the browser automation, identity, proxies, recordings and human handoff your application needs.

Capabilities

Browserbase and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeBrowserbaseFree browser sessions are capped at 15 minutes; Developer/Startup list six hours and Scale negotiates higher limits. Context lifetime is separate.View evidence ↗Sandbox0ttl and hard_ttl default to 0 (disabled). Configure idle pause and deletion policies for the same persistent sandbox identity; an idle running sandbox still accrues compute charges.Read documentation →
Persistent filesBrowserbaseBrowser Contexts retain user-data-directory state across sessions; this is browser persistence, not a complete machine contract.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSBrowserbaseFunctions explicitly lack persistent storage; Contexts do not establish durable arbitrary Linux system paths.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Persistence extends beyond /workspace to paths such as /usr/local, /etc, and /home. Runtime tmpfs and virtual filesystems are excluded.Read documentation →
Release compute, keep stateBrowserbasekeepAlive retains a running, billed browser; these guides do not establish a durable compute-release machine pause.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateBrowserbaseSaved browser data and replay do not establish arbitrary process-memory checkpoints.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Experimental memory checkpoints can preserve compatible process state. Use memory: true on both pause and resume on a compatible deployment. A filesystem checkpoint alone does not preserve running processes.Read documentation →

Online RootFS growth

On growth-enabled images, Sandbox0 automatically expands the writable RootFS as free space runs low, within a configured sparse logical ceiling up to 64 TiB. Agent processes keep running. Growth is enabled in the qualified Cloud region; confirm activation for other regions. Existing images and snapshots retain their captured storage geometry. The ceiling is logical capacity, not preallocated host disk.

An indefinitely retained Chromium Context is useful for authentication, but it does not establish automatic online growth of a complete writable Linux RootFS. Functions storage and active-session lifetime have separate limits.

Files while compute is paused

Sandbox0's Files API reads persistent files without resuming compute. Filesystem-only pauses also permit edits; retained-memory pauses are read-only and reject mutations with 409. SSH, SFTP, file watching, and runtime-only mounts require running compute.

See paused file operations →

A Context saves browser state, not every system change

Browserbase Contexts store the Chromium user data directory, including cookies, local storage and IndexedDB. New changes require persist: true and are saved when the session closes; allow synchronization before reuse. Contexts can live indefinitely until deletion or invalidation, although websites can expire authentication. Their longevity is distinct from the active browser session.

Source 1 ↗

Keep alive keeps a billable browser running

Paid-plan keepAlive survives client disconnects but continues using browser minutes until release or timeout. The standard paid plans list six-hour sessions; custom enterprise limits require their own agreement. Keeping a browser connected or waiting for a person is different from releasing guest compute and later starting fresh processes from durable files.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗

Hosted Functions have their own execution boundary

Browserbase Functions run TypeScript with a 60–900 second invocation timeout and no persistent storage between invocations. Functions do not support keepAlive and close the browser on terminal completion. Evaluate these constraints independently from reusable browser Contexts and the standalone browser session limit.

Source 1 ↗

Pricing

Compare billing models, then price your workload

CPU allocation, memory, billing minimums, disk, plan fees, and supported workload differ. These meters are not equal-performance machine quotes. Confirm region, resource units, and included allowances before estimating a total.

Browserbase

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-18

Free
$0/month
One browser hour, three concurrent browsers and 15-minute sessions.
Rate source ↗
Developer
$20/month
100 browser hours, then $0.12/browser-hour; 25 concurrent browsers.
Rate source ↗
Startup
$99/month
500 browser hours, then $0.10/browser-hour; 100 concurrent browsers.
Rate source ↗
Managed proxy overage
$12/GB Developer; $10/GB Startup
After 1 GB / 5 GB respective monthly allocations.
Rate source ↗
Browser billing granularity
Minute rounding with a one-minute minimum per session
Rate source ↗
Scale
Custom pricing
Rate source ↗

Model Gateway, agent runs, Search, Fetch, Extract and proxy traffic have their own allowances or meters. Browser hours are not equivalent to a general Linux VM-hour. The price page and plan guide differ on some Search/retention details; confirm the effective account terms instead of inferring them from this browser rate card.

Check current Browserbase pricing ↗

Sandbox0

$0.015/GiB-hour compute (billed by the second at approximately $0.000004167/GiB-second), plus $0.02/GiB-month of retained incremental RootFS and memory checkpoint data. Shared base images and platform recovery retention are excluded; paused sandboxes accrue storage charges only.

Compute / GiB-hour
$0.015
Retained data / GiB-month
$0.02
Paused compute
$0.00

A 4 GiB agent, 100 running hours

$6.00 compute

4 GiB × 100 hours, billed by the second. Keeping 20 GiB of billable incremental data for a full billing month adds $0.40. CPU is derived from memory by the platform; choose a tier that fits your workload.

Understand storage billing →

Before migrating from Browserbase

  1. Inventory Contexts, downloads, browser identity/proxies, recordings, Functions code, agent state and current plan usage.
  2. Move compatible Linux code and system dependencies to Sandbox0; retain Browserbase over CDP when its managed browser capabilities remain required.
  3. Test browser login continuity separately from system persistence, online growth, paused files, timeout recovery and the combined compute/browser/model/network bill.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Browserbase replacement?

Evaluate API compatibility and product scope. These products serve different core workflows, so a change may require a different architecture.

Does keeping files also keep a running agent?

Filesystem state and volatile process state are separate. Sandbox0 requires explicit compatible memory checkpoints to preserve running processes; its default filesystem resume starts fresh processes.

Sources and review scope

The Boat team's Battleships directory is the discovery source. References below describe the product and plan discussed on this page. Check current availability, regional terms and billing units before migrating. Where the cited material does not establish a capability or price, the comparison identifies that uncertainty.

Battleships research record ↗docs.browserbase.com/platform/browser/core-features/contexts.md ↗docs.browserbase.com/platform/browser/long-sessions/keep-alive.md ↗docs.browserbase.com/platform/browser/long-sessions/timeouts ↗docs.browserbase.com/account/billing/plans ↗docs.browserbase.com/platform/functions/limits.md ↗www.browserbase.com/pricing ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

Related comparisons

Airtop vs Sandbox0 →Anchor Browser vs Sandbox0 →Bright Data Browser API vs Sandbox0 →Browser Use Cloud vs Sandbox0 →BrowserAct vs Sandbox0 →BrowserCloud vs Sandbox0 →